Area Attractions & Points of Interest
A Little History about Port Arthur
Port Arthur is located on the western bank of
Sabine Lake. The Rainbow Bridge across the Neches
River connects Port Arthur to Bridge City. Port
Arthur was founded by Arthur Edward Stilwell in the
late 19th century, and was once the center of the
largest oil refinery network in the world.
Just Outside Port Arthur
Before we get into everything you can do in and
around Port Arthur, we should mention that our
location is approximately one hour from Houston,
Texas to the west and Lake Charles, Louisiana to the
east. So you can take a quick trip into
Houston or visit a casino in Lake Charles.
Now in and around Port Arthur
Port Arthur and our RV Park is located just
southeast of Beaumont and just outside of Nederland.
Below is a list of some Points of Interest with web
site links if available:
GOLDEN TRIANGLE VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK
Located in the park there are 10,000 names of
area servicemen that served in WWI, WWII, Korea,
Vietnam, Peace Time, Desert Storm, or with the
Merchant Marines during WWII.
The Tower of Honor, which is 50 feet tall, lists
the names, rank, branch of service, and the war
served in of the 930 of those killed or missing in
action from the Golden Triangle. Other static
displays represent the various branches of service.
The displays include an F4-D Phantom Jet, an M60A3
Tank, and an UH-1 Huey Helicopter, an anchor from
the Texaco SS Mississippi (the last WWII Merchant
Marine ship to be decommissioned), an assault
landing craft, and a seven-foot tall statue of an U.
S. Marine.
QUEEN OF PEACE SHRINE
901 9th Ave. (7 blocks south of Gulfway
Dr.)**409-983-7676 Appointments not required Free
admission**20 to 30 Min.
This Hoa-Binh (Area of Peace) features beautiful
gardens and statue of Mary three times life size was
built by parishioners of Queen of Vietnam Martyr’s
Catholic Church, in gratitude for their escape from
Asia and the city which welcomed them.
BUU MON BUDDHIST TEMPLE
2701 Procter**409-982-9319 Tours by
Appointment**Free Admission**20 Min.
The four-tier pagoda tower symbolizes tenants in
the Buddha faith. Built as a Baptist Church more
than 40 years ago, this building was converted to a
Catholic Church in 1976 and then in 1987 remodeled
into a Buddhist Temple which includes changing the
steeple to the characteristic Stupa, the pagoda
style tower that contains a sacred relic.
ROSE HILL MANOR
100 Woodworth at Lakeshore 409-985-7292**Tours by
Appointment Catered events can be arranged A fee for
admission**40 Min
Listed in the National Register of Historic
Places and one of the oldest landmarks in the city,
this colonial-style mansion was built in 1906 by
Rome H. Woodworth, an early banker and Mayor. It
remained in the Woodworth family until 1948 when it
was deeded to the city.
WHITE HAVEN
2545 Lakeshore Dr.**409-984- 6101**Tours by
appointment No fee for admission** 45 Min
Wide porches and spacious rooms bring back
memories of relaxed times by Lake Sabine. Originally
built as a New England colonial-style mansion in
1915, it was changed by subsequent owners to a
Southern Greek Revival style by the addition of
large verandas and columns. On display in the home
are early pieces of Wedgwood china, a French made
screen from the collection of Empress Carlotta of
Mexico, and candelabras from the Shah of Persia. The
home is now owned by Lamar State College.
POMPEIIAN VILLA
1953 Lakeshore Dr.**409-983-5977 Tours by
appointment**Fee for admission**Catered refreshments
for a fee**45 Min.
This building’s history is almost as fascinating
as the villa itself. Isaac Ellwood, "the barbed wire
King", built this modest 10-room "cottage" that was
an authentic copy of a Pompeiian home of 74 AD with
the rooms built around a traditional Roman peristyle,
a three-sided courtyard to which each room has
access. Part of the home’s colorful past is at one
point the home was traded to George Craig, banker
and land developer, for 10 percent of stock in the
newly formed Texas Company, a forerunner of Texaco.
The stock at the time was worth a few thousand
dollars, however, today the same stock is worth more
than two hundred million dollars.
VUYLSTEKE DUTCH HOME
1831 Lakeshore Dr.**409-984- 6101**Tours by
appointment Tours free**40 Min.
The first Dutch counsul in Port Arthur built the
Dutch colonial home in 1905. The home provides a
priceless glimpse of a glamorous time. Among its
features are three fireplaces that share one central
chimney. The home has been restored to its original
condition with original furnishings and is owned by
Lamar State College.
TEXAS ARTISTS MUSEUM
3501 Cultural Center Dr.
409-983-4881**Free admission
The Texas Artists Museum primarily exhibits art by
artists in or originally from Jefferson and Orange
counties. The artists represent nearly every town
and city within a 20 or 30 mile radius. There is a
display and reception in the main galley each month
of a different artist. A second Sunday event is held
each month in the after-noon and features
entertainment.
MUSEUM OF THE GULF COAST
Beaumont Ave at 4th St.**409-982-7000**Open
9-5 M-S & 1-5 Sun Fee for admission**1.5 Hrs.
The Museum of the Gulf Coast combines both
conventional and unconventional approaches to tell
the extraordinary history of this Gulf Coast region.
The first floor employs traditional themes to
interpret Gulf Coast life before humans arrived, the
role of Native Americans, European/African contacts,
the Hispanic legacy, the trauma of Civil War,
post-war economic and cultural growth called
Progressivism, and finally, the integration of the
Gulf Coast region into the larger
national/inter-national community. On the other
hand, the mezzanine presents unique exhibits that
focus on the area’s rich musical heritage, featuring
performers like Janis Joplin, George Jones, Harry
James and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. Sport’s
enthusiasts will also find displays that chronicle
the lives of "Babe Zaharias, Coach Jimmy Johnson,
"Bum" Phillips and golfer, Bruce Lietzke. Fine arts
are included also, such as internationally know
artists, Robert Rauschenberg’s gallery of works, and
a celebrated decorative works section and parlor
setting in the John and Grace Snell gallery.
PLEASURE ISLAND
Located across the MLK Bridge on Hwy 82
The 3,500 acre island, once secret anchorage of
pirate Jean Laffitte, located between the 400-foot
wide Sabine-Neches Ship Channel and Sabine Lake is
being developed to live up to its name and become a
resort-type island. Facilities on the island
include: a 10-acre park, a marina, Yacht Club,
picnic areas, 18-hole championship golf course, disc
golf course, cabin rentals, lighted fishing piers,
boat launches, charter fishing boats, RV Parks,
Mesquite Point, Fun island Depot, which is a huge
playground for children, free camping areas,
observation decks, restaurants, and Spinnacker’s
Pub.
SABINE PASS
Located on Hwy 87 South
Sabine Pass is located on Hwy 87 South of Port
Arthur and was annexed by the city in 1978. This
community has the distinction of having been laid
out by Sam Houston in 1836. A high point in the
town’s history was the Civil War battle fought there
in which a handful of Confederates with a few
cannons whipped a Federal invasion force more than a
hundred times its strength. Its present day claim to
fame rests on great fishing and the excellent bird
watching and wildlife observation sites, including a
new Marina.
SABINE PASS BATTLEGROUND STATE PARK AND
HISTORIC SITE
6100 Dick Dowling Rd
Sabine Pass, TX 77655
1.5 miles South of Sabine Pass on Dick Dowling Road
(FM 3322)
409-971-2559 (Sea Rim State Park)
Open 8 a.m.-10 p.m. (except for overnight campers).
Fee for Admission.
The story of the Civil War battle fought here
sounds like a Texas Tall Tale, but is true. On
September 8, 1863, a Union fleet numbering some 20
vessels and about 4,000 men tried to invade Texas
through Sabine Pass. Facing them all alone was
Company F of the Texas Heavy Artillery. The Company
consisted of 40 Irish dock workers lead by a young
lieutenant, a barkeep from Houston, named Dick
Dowling. They had six cannons set up in unfinished
earth works reinforced with railroad iron and ship’s
timbers. When the smoke cleared, Dick Dowling and
Company F had captured two Federal ships and 350
men. The remainder of the union fleet returned to
New Orleans. The Federals were never able to
penetrate the Texas interior during the war.
Today Sabine Pass Battleground State Park and Historic
Site features an interpretive pavilion and
walkway, a 14-foot statue and monument, ADA-
accessible sidewalks and restrooms, covered picnic
tables and grills, RV and primitive camping, 4-lane
boat ramps with ADA-accessible dock, 1/4 mile of
shoreline with safety railing.
SEA RIM STATE PARK
19335 Hwy 87
Sabine Pass, TX 77655
10 miles west of Sabine Pass on Hwy 87
409-971-2559
Open 8 a.m.-10 p.m. (except for overnight campers).
Fee for admission Named for that portion of the
marsh grasslands extending along the coastline to
the Gulf, Sea Rim State Park preserves a beautiful and
unique environment. Sea Rim’s D. Roy Harrington
Beach Unit includes the Park’s Visitor Center,
nature trails, camping areas, and 5.2 miles of Gulf
Coast beach. The Marshlands Unit encompasses 4,141.1
acres of marsh wetlands, including two lakes, ponds
and estuaries. Its marshes are a popular spot for
viewing wildlife, particularly the American
alligator. Activities include canoe rentals and
paddleboat rentals at the marshlands Unit; Marsh
Airboat Tours in season; beachcombing along the Gulf
shores; surf fishing or fishing via boat in the
marsh lakes; swimming in the Gulf (no lifeguard
provided); walk-in waterfowl hunting sites (in
season). Facilities include Visitor Center with
300-gallon aquarium and other nature exhibits, two
wheelchair accessible boardwalk nature trails;
ADA-accessible restrooms with hot showers; RV
camping sites (2 ADA) with water and electrical
hookups, tent pad sites (2 ADA-accessible) with
water hook-ups, grills, and primitive campsites on
the beach and on platforms in the marsh. For
campsite reservations call 512-389-8900.
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE SHRINE
3648 Staff Sgt. Lucian Adams Drive
No fee
The 17-foot high bronze statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe was sculpted by the
artists Miguel Angel Macias, from Mexico City, and
Douglas Clark from Port Arthur. The statue is set
upon rocks brought to the site from Mount Tepayac,
Mexico City, where the Virgin appeared to Juan
Diego. The back wall of the Shrine showcases stained
glass windows depicting various symbols relating to
Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Parish of Our Lady of
Guadalupe Catholic Church envisions the Shrine to be
a scared place of spiritual renewal, peace and
solace.
THE ITALIAN WALL OF HONOR
The Italian Wall of Honor is located at the grounds
of
the Port Arthur Library. No Fee
In 1990 the Port Arthur American-Italian club formed
a committee to prepare for a quinticentennial
celebration of this country. An immigrants Wall of
Honor was decided for the 500 years celebration.
The wall is in remembrance and recognition of the
families and individual who sacrifice so much and
lit the torch for the future generations.
On August 27, 1993 the Italian Wall of Honor was
dedicated. The Wall of Honor consist of family
names and the city of each immigrants birth on a
bronze plaques mounted on a marble wall. The
following words are inscribed on the monument: "We
who follow, dedicate this immigrants Wall of Honor
to those who led us to a new country, a new life,
and a new beginning.
GATOR COUNTRY
Take a walk on the Wild side!
21159 FM 365
Fannett, TX
409-794-9453
Open; Spring Hours: Friday-Sunday 9:00-6:00; Summer
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 9:00-7:00
Gator Country is the home of Texas largest alligator
in captivity. You can watch alligators leap out of
the water for food, feed and hold live alligators.
If you get hungry, you can rest your feet and enjoy
the full concessions with our famous fried alligator
and other Cajun cuisine. |
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